Tension runs high as a 24-hour hartal and 22-hour rail-road blockade programme began simultaneously across the country on Friday evening to resist Hefazat-e-Islam’s Dhaka long march scheduled for Saturday.
The shutdown enforced by 25 pro-liberation organisations and the blockade by activists of Ganajagaran Mancha began at 6 pm.
Sector Commanders’ Forum, 10 left-leaning parties and several other organisations extended their support to the shutdown.
The pro-liberation organisations called the hartal on Wednesday night, which is meant for pushing their demand for banning Jamaat and Shibir politics.
At a press conference at Dhaka University’s TSC on Thursday, they urged people to make the hartal a success.
Meanwhile, protesters of Shahbagh Ganajagaran Mancha on Thursday announced to enforce a countrywide road and railway blockade programme for 22 hours from 6 pm today to prevent Hefazat-e-Islam’s long march towards Dhaka.
Imran H Sarkar, the spokesperson of the Ganajagaran Mancha, announced the programme at a press conference at Shahbagh intersection.
Hefazat-e-Islam had earlier announced the long march programme towards Dhaka to press home its 13-point demand, including the arrest and trial of bloggers for “defaming” Islam and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
On Thursday, they threatened to enforce a nonstop hartal from Sunday if the 24-hour shutdown called by 25 pro-liberation bodies is not called off by Thursday evening.
They also threatened to close the Dhaka-Chittagong highway for an indefinite period if the government obstructs its scheduled long march towards Dhaka on Saturday.
Later, they started for Dhaka riding different vehicles including bus, minibus and truck around 8:00am, reports our correspondent from Chittagong quoting Islamambadi.
In the meantime, a large number of the Islamist party activists have also been waiting in front of the mosque finding no vehicle to start for the capital.
Ilias Osmani, finance secretary of Hefajat, held a rally there and urged the Chittagong Transport Owners’ Association to rent their vehicles, so that they could start the journey.
Osmani said the transport owners earlier promised to rent vehicles but suddenly stopped supplying their vehicles to the party “being convinced by the government”.
Meanwhile, Mainuddin Ruhi, joint general secretary, of Hefajat claimed that activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League obstructed their motorcade at Mirsarai and Sitakunda areas.
After the Juma prayers, around 4,000 activists of the Hefajat held a rally at Wasa Intersection.
Harun Izhar, the publicity secretary of Hefajat, said that would wait on the street until the evening and announce next course of action if transportation were not managed by the time.
The aggrieved Hefajat men physically assaulted four journalists of private television channel Ekattor television around 2:30pm, while they were covering the rally.
The four newsmen are: Mohim Mizan, Mainuddin Dulal, Babul Paal and Rajib Barua.
Hefajat-e-Islam Bangladesh, a Qawmi Madrasa-based organisation, last month announced the long march towards Dhaka to press home their 13-point demand including the passage of law under which “highest punishment” would be delivered to the “atheist bloggers who insulted Islam.”
Over 25 pro-liberation organisations on Wednesday decided to call for a countrywide 24-hour hartal, from 6:00pm Friday, to resist Hefajat-e-Islam’s Dhaka long march on Saturday.
Later on Thursday, the Islamist party threatened to launch a non-stop shutdown from April 7, if the 24-hour hartal called by pro-liberation organisations is not withdrawn.
Hours later, the Gonojagoron Mancha called a countrywide road blockade from 6:00pm Friday to 4:00pm Saturday to counter Hefajat’s long march towards Dhaka.
It also urged all rail, road and waterway transport owners and workers to cooperate and make the blockade a success.
BGB DEPLOYED
BGB personnel were deployed in Hathajari and Sitakunda upazilas of Chittagong since 6:00am on Friday to avert any untoward situation, said Abdul Mannan, Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong.
The BGB will remain deployed until 6:00pm on Saturday.
Later, they started for Dhaka riding different vehicles including bus, minibus and truck around 8:00am, reports our correspondent from Chittagong quoting Islamambadi.
In the meantime, a large number of the Islamist party activists have also been waiting in front of the mosque finding no vehicle to start for the capital.
Ilias Osmani, finance secretary of Hefajat, held a rally there and urged the Chittagong Transport Owners’ Association to rent their vehicles, so that they could start the journey.
Osmani said the transport owners earlier promised to rent vehicles but suddenly stopped supplying their vehicles to the party “being convinced by the government”.
Meanwhile, Mainuddin Ruhi, joint general secretary, of Hefajat claimed that activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League obstructed their motorcade at Mirsarai and Sitakunda areas.
After the Juma prayers, around 4,000 activists of the Hefajat held a rally at Wasa Intersection.
Harun Izhar, the publicity secretary of Hefajat, said that would wait on the street until the evening and announce next course of action if transportation were not managed by the time.
The aggrieved Hefajat men physically assaulted four journalists of private television channel Ekattor television around 2:30pm, while they were covering the rally.
The four newsmen are: Mohim Mizan, Mainuddin Dulal, Babul Paal and Rajib Barua.
Hefajat-e-Islam Bangladesh, a Qawmi Madrasa-based organisation, last month announced the long march towards Dhaka to press home their 13-point demand including the passage of law under which “highest punishment” would be delivered to the “atheist bloggers who insulted Islam.”
Over 25 pro-liberation organisations on Wednesday decided to call for a countrywide 24-hour hartal, from 6:00pm Friday, to resist Hefajat-e-Islam’s Dhaka long march on Saturday.
Later on Thursday, the Islamist party threatened to launch a non-stop shutdown from April 7, if the 24-hour hartal called by pro-liberation organisations is not withdrawn.
Hours later, the Gonojagoron Mancha called a countrywide road blockade from 6:00pm Friday to 4:00pm Saturday to counter Hefajat’s long march towards Dhaka.
It also urged all rail, road and waterway transport owners and workers to cooperate and make the blockade a success.
BGB DEPLOYMENT
BGB personnel were deployed in Hathajari and Sitakunda upazilas of Chittagong since 6:00am on Friday to avert any untoward situation, said Abdul Mannan, Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong.
The BGB will remain deployed until 6:00pm on Saturday.
Source: The Independent
